Last night I did something different with Max and instead of the usual walk/trot/cantering and various dressage exercises, I decided to hit the trail and head north to the Oaks.
Basically, Pam, the lady who owns the stables where I board Max has been recovering from knee injuries and she's slowly getting back into trail riding. Also, she's been trying to train/work an Arabian horse named "Dumbles" (short for Dumbledore). Dumbles is a sweet horse with a nice disposition although he occassionally gets a bit wacko (find me an Arab that doesn't!). He's been trained for both the saddle and driving although riding seems to be his better suit.
So we hit the trail together, Dumbles and Max and it went very well- it was a pleasant surprise for all of us. I took the lead on the way out and we did a mix of walking and trotting. When we got to the Oaks, we switched positions and walked home. Max needs to learn to be in the rear and he was a perfect gentlemen- no attempt to push or go faster and he was relaxed the whole time. And no jigging!!!
Although Dumbles got a bit tense and excited when we started back, he settled down and yielded to the bit. While he kept up a forward walk (he's an Arab after all), he seemed to be under control and gave no cause for concern. This was totally against expectations and Dumbles' mom was a bit unsure on how he'd act, especially since the day before he'd been acting like an idiot.
It seems that Max had a calming influence on Dumbles so it looks like we'll be doing this some, gradually extending our distance to eventually go out as far as the cowpens and maybe the Bathtub/Doc Larsen. It's both a good training experience for Dumbles and Pam- Dumbles needs more trail time and Pam needs to get back into riding.
I look forward to this since I don't really like to ride too far out by myself and I'd like to get somemore long-distance trail experience.
Basically, Pam, the lady who owns the stables where I board Max has been recovering from knee injuries and she's slowly getting back into trail riding. Also, she's been trying to train/work an Arabian horse named "Dumbles" (short for Dumbledore). Dumbles is a sweet horse with a nice disposition although he occassionally gets a bit wacko (find me an Arab that doesn't!). He's been trained for both the saddle and driving although riding seems to be his better suit.
So we hit the trail together, Dumbles and Max and it went very well- it was a pleasant surprise for all of us. I took the lead on the way out and we did a mix of walking and trotting. When we got to the Oaks, we switched positions and walked home. Max needs to learn to be in the rear and he was a perfect gentlemen- no attempt to push or go faster and he was relaxed the whole time. And no jigging!!!
Although Dumbles got a bit tense and excited when we started back, he settled down and yielded to the bit. While he kept up a forward walk (he's an Arab after all), he seemed to be under control and gave no cause for concern. This was totally against expectations and Dumbles' mom was a bit unsure on how he'd act, especially since the day before he'd been acting like an idiot.
It seems that Max had a calming influence on Dumbles so it looks like we'll be doing this some, gradually extending our distance to eventually go out as far as the cowpens and maybe the Bathtub/Doc Larsen. It's both a good training experience for Dumbles and Pam- Dumbles needs more trail time and Pam needs to get back into riding.
I look forward to this since I don't really like to ride too far out by myself and I'd like to get somemore long-distance trail experience.
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